What is Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder pain is a general term to refer to any pain experienced in the shoulder joint or the surrounding muscles. Shoulder pain is a common condition that is experienced by most people at some stage throughout their lives. Given the complexity of the shoulder and its supporting ligaments, muscles, and bones, diagnosing the cause of shoulder pain can be difficult and treating it even more so.
Signs and Symptoms of Shoulder Pain
Commonly, shoulder pain is felt as a dull or sharp pain within the shoulder joint or the surrounding tissue. Depending on the cause of your shoulder pain, the symptoms experienced will vary. Some common symptoms that accompany shoulder pain include reduced range of motion in the arm and shoulder, difficulty lifting the arm or holding weight in that arm, pins and needles in the shoulder and down the arm or back, or complete lack of mobility in the shoulder.
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Shoulder Pain
Dysfunction in the upper cervical spine can have knock on effects throughout the entire body and is often the culprit for shoulder pain. When there is a misalignment in the upper cervical spine, the misaligned vertebrae can intrude into the surrounding muscle and nerves. Over time, this pressure can lead to the development of nerve compression, inflammation, and weakening in the affected muscle groups.
As other muscle structures overexert in order to maintain regular muscle movement, persistent imbalances can develop, triggering pain, tension, and mobility issues in the shoulder.
How Our Shoulder Pain Treatment Works
Living with shoulder pain can drastically reduce your quality of life. Fortunately, there are natural and effective treatment options available through our upper cervical chiropractic specialist, Dr. Bello. Upper cervical chiropractic care is a modern form of chiropractic treatment that focuses on using non-invasive and precise correction techniques to improve the health of the upper cervical spine.
When you visit our office for an upper cervical spinal assessment, Dr. Bello will perform an initial consultation to assess the health of your upper cervical spine. In order to determine whether a misalignment in the upper cervical spine could be contributing to your shoulder pain, Dr. Bello will perform several specialized scans, using X-rays and cone-beam computed tomography to identify the exact angle and location of any vertebral misalignments.
If a misalignment is detected, Dr. Bello will perform a series of gentle upper cervical corrections to the upper cervical spine. This process will restore the upper cervical spine to its natural position, allowing the body to re-engage its natural healing mechanisms and correct imbalances in the musculoskeletal structures of the shoulder.
Don’t let shoulder pain stop you from enjoying the things you love. Dr. Bello offers upper cervical chiropractic care to patients in Brentwood, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, West Los Angeles, and the surrounding areas.